Another Blow to Democracy in Lebanon
—David Aikman

Remember what happened in Gaza last June? Hamas gunmen staged a bloody coup in the territory, murdering anyone who stood in their way, and seizing power from the Palestinian authority. Well, the same thing has just happened in Beirut, Lebanon. Gunmen from Hezbollah, the radical Islamist party, drove out anyone who stood against them. The Lebanese army, apparently intimidated, did nothing.

Technically, Lebanon still has an elected, pro-Western government. But Hezbollah went rampant because the government told them they couldn't have their own private, fiber-optic phone network and they shouldn't be allowed to operate their own surveillance camera at Beirut's airport.

Hezbollah denied it had pulled a coup and later withdrew its gunmen. But nobody doubts who now controls Lebanon. Iran has now reached the shores of the Mediterranean and Islamic extremists are on both ends of Israel.